Memories of Cosette
by Miru-chan
Summary: Err, Eponine/Cosette. Rated PG for girl/girl relationship, although it's definitely more of a sisterly one than anything romantic. Kyah, just read!
1. I Remember

One thing to clear up: This is FANFICTION. It never happened, it never could happen, I know I got some facts right, but don't bug me about it. The prospect of something more than hate between Eponine/Cosette was so unlikely that I decided to write about it. ^^;;

And I am dreadfully sorry for using lines from the *twitchtwitch* 1998 Les Miz movie, but they fit. So there. 

Miru-chan 3

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Their strong friendship had started back when they both lived in the Thenardier household. It was never something they talked about; they stuck to their roles in the house. Eponine scorned Cosette, at least as far as Thenardier could see, and Cosette put on her own mask of sorrow and hate for every member of the family. It wasn't until all the lights were turned out that they could express their feelings in private.

"Eponine," Cosette whispered as softly as she could, as not to wake Azelma, who was sleeping in the bed beside them. "Eponine, are you awake?"

"Mmhmm," Eponine's response was almost inaudible. 

"I'm sleepy, 'Ponine," 

"Then go to bed," Eponine smiled, although she knew Cosette couldn't see it through the dark of night. She kissed her bedmate on the forehead and turned around, drifting off into a dream world.

The night that the man came to take Cosette away was one of the hardest nights of Eponine's life. She didn't understand why her secret friend was being taken from her and being taken from the house. She waved to Cosette as the man picked her up and carried her out the door.

"Goodbye, Cosette," She mouthed.

"Bye, 'Ponine," The small girl made no sound whatsoever.

After that, things had gotten horrible at the Thenardier's. Without Cosette to pick on, they turned all their attention towards Eponine. However, this was not the kind of attention she wanted. Once Cosette was gone, Eponine had nobody to talk to at night, she had nobody to listen to her confessions, and she had nobody to watch over like she had done for her friend.

On a clear night, five years later, Eponine was sitting outside on the bank of the river Seine, reflecting on her life in general. She remembered her life in that residence; remembered Cosette and their childish, innocent love for each other. Sometimes she felt so alone in the streets of Paris, with the lights burning brightly in warm homes, while she was exposed to the elements in the streets. She wondered if the nights with Cosette were even real, or if they were all a figment of her imagination. Eponine had never had the same relationship with Azelma; the sisters had never been close like Eponine and the orphan were. She fell asleep on the bank, thinking about her past.

            At dawn she awoke to the sounds and smells of Parisian life. The city was just starting to wake up, shops were setting up, and people were walking outside to get a breath of fresh morning air. She sighed, sat up, and stretched her legs and arms out. It was then that she caught an all too familiar looking figure in the corner of her eye.

            "Papa, why must I always walk with you? I have to walk alone some day!"

            "Yes, Cosette, but not today." 

            Cosette! Eponine's heart skipped a beat as she watched the two stroll down the cobblestone road. She thought of sprinting up the riverbank and talking to Cosette, but that would only cause trouble with the man beside her, the one she called "Papa." She stared at them until they were gone, and she returned to studying the waves of the river. 

"We were children together. Look what's become of me!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            One hot June day, Eponine finally got up the courage to speak to Cosette. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she raced through the alleyways, the most prominent being, "What if she doesn't remember me?" 

            _No, it couldn't happen, _She assured herself. _Cosette… couldn't forget me, could she?_

            That question would be answered soon enough. Eponine caught up to her childhood friend, who had sat down on a corner bench to rest. 

            "C-Cosette?" She uttered warily. "Do you remember an… Eponine Thenardier?"

            The girl's head spun around swiftly, she recognized that voice, that smell…

            "Eponine, you silly girl. How could I forget you?" She laughed, a carefree, joyous laugh that Eponine did not remember from the past. Cosette took Eponine's hand and pulled her down to the bench, holding her in a warm embrace. "So, you ended up in Paris too. It's really quite a wonderful city," She trailed off. "If I was allowed to see any of it! My Papa, he won't let me go anywhere alone! He- I'm sorry, 'Ponine. I'm sure you have a lot to say."

            "Hm, I'd much rather hear about you," Eponine grinned. "And where your papa is at the moment."

            "I convinced him that I was just going for a walk in the park, but truthfully, I'm not. I'm meeting someone here," Cosette sighed dreamily. "Marius. Marius Pontmercy. I love him, but Papa doesn't know- if he knew, he'd have it in for me! He's confident that everybody is up to no good. I just don't understand it! Marius is so wonderful, though. He's handsome, and intelligent- he's helping to plan a revolution against the French government!"

            _Marius, _Eponine contemplated. She had thought there had still been a chance- _No, that's foolish! Cosette has grown up. I've grown up. We're far from the children we used to be._

            "Oh! There he is!" Cosette pointed excitedly to a man walking towards them. She ran up and hugged him. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. "Marius, there's somebody I'd like you to meet." She grabbed his hand and led him over to where Eponine was sitting. "Dear, this is my old- my, uh,"

            "I'm an old childhood friend," The words almost hurt to say. She knew there had been a closer bond between them, but she didn't dare speak about it. "Eponine Thenardier."

            "Pleased to meet you, Mademoiselle Thenardier," Marius grinned. Eponine cocked her head. This man looked so familiar…  yet she couldn't quite put a meeting place with his face or name. 

            "We'd better be going, dear."

            And with that, Cosette and Marius turning and, holding hands, walked off into the crowd of people, that crowd of people who never gave Eponine a second glance. 

            "Goodbye, Cosette," She whispered under her breath. "I'm only sorry that I couldn't tell you how I really feel." She saw Cosette stop and turned her head around to glance at Eponine once more, and she could have sworn that she saw the words, "I'll miss you," mouthed.

            "No, it was only my imagination." 


	2. The Meeting

            One hot June day, Eponine finally got up the courage to speak to Cosette. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she raced through the alleyways, the most prominent being, "What if she doesn't remember me?" 

            _No, it couldn't happen, _She assured herself. _Cosette… couldn't forget me, could she?_

            That question would be answered soon enough. Eponine caught up to her childhood friend, who had sat down on a corner bench to rest. 

            "C-Cosette?" She uttered warily. "Do you remember an… Eponine Thenardier?"

            The girl's head spun around swiftly, she recognized that voice, that smell…

            "Eponine, you silly girl. How could I forget you?" She laughed, a carefree, joyous laugh that Eponine did not remember from the past. Cosette took Eponine's hand and pulled her down to the bench, holding her in a warm embrace. "So, you ended up in Paris too. It's really quite a wonderful city," She trailed off. "If I was allowed to see any of it! My Papa, he won't let me go anywhere alone! He- I'm sorry, 'Ponine. I'm sure you have a lot to say."

            "Hm, I'd much rather hear about you," Eponine grinned. "And where your papa is at the moment."

            "I convinced him that I was just going for a walk in the park, but truthfully, I'm not. I'm meeting someone here," Cosette sighed dreamily. "Marius. Marius Pontmercy. I love him, but Papa doesn't know- if he knew, he'd have it in for me! He's confident that everybody is up to no good. I just don't understand it! Marius is so wonderful, though. He's handsome, and intelligent- he's helping to plan a revolution against the French government!"

            _Marius, _Eponine contemplated. She had thought there had still been a chance- _No, that's foolish! Cosette has grown up. I've grown up. We're far from the children we used to be._

            "Oh! There he is!" Cosette pointed excitedly to a man walking towards them. She ran up and hugged him. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. "Marius, there's somebody I'd like you to meet." She grabbed his hand and led him over to where Eponine was sitting. "Dear, this is my old- my, uh,"

            "I'm an old childhood friend," The words almost hurt to say. She knew there had been a closer bond between them, but she didn't dare speak about it. "Eponine Thenardier."

            "Pleased to meet you, Mademoiselle Thenardier," Marius grinned. Eponine cocked her head. This man looked so familiar…  yet she couldn't quite put a meeting place with his face or name. 

            "We'd better be going, dear."

            And with that, Cosette and Marius turning and, holding hands, walked off into the crowd of people, that crowd of people who never gave Eponine a second glance. 

            "Goodbye, Cosette," She whispered under her breath. "I'm only sorry that I couldn't tell you how I really feel." She saw Cosette stop and turned her head around to glance at Eponine once more, and she could have sworn that she saw the words, "I'll miss you," mouthed.

            "No, it was only my imagination."


End file.
